Life & Encounters
by EasonChow1216
Summary: A series of short MidoAka drabbles set in the Harry Potter universe. The chapters are not chronological, thus you may read them in any order you like! I will add more as time goes on. Midorima-centric.
1. Life & Habits

The Ravenclaw Common Room was one of the two places that Shintarou thoroughly enjoyed studying in, if it meant getting away from the rowdy and noisy groups of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. He would've liked to study in the Great Hall in the evening sometimes, but the sheer commotion was proven too much for him to handle. Adding to the fact that Taiga, his somewhat idiotic acquaintance that he met on the Hogwarts Express, would always come to breakfast with a stackful of unfinished homework with the intention of asking him for help. There simply wasn't enough time for him to do some extra studying in peace.

The midnight blue carpets, tapestries and decorations were reminiscent of the Ravenclaw House, with their symbolic animal imprinted in gold on each and every one of them with excruciating detail. The crackling fireplace provided warmth to the otherwise chilly common room, not that Shintaro could help it as their common room was located in one of the tallest towers of the castle, known for being the airiest common room of the four houses. The dimly lit torches, the glistening moonlight and the warm glow from the fireplace illuminated the room evenly.

Shintarou would enjoy his evenings with a bit of light reading. His fellow Ravenclaws had ridiculed him for reading textbooks outside of class and he tried his very best not to pay any heed towards their comments, but he let those words get the better of him. Naturally, an extra book would accompany two of his favourite textbooks every evening. A copy of _Magical Drafts and Potions_ , _One Hundred Magical Herbs and Fungi_ and _Home Life and Habits of British Muggles_ spread across the big table, occupied only by Shintarou himself.

As a half-blood who spent a majority of his life living like a muggle himself, he knew how the Muggle World work. Their very way of lifestyle was fundamentally different from the Wizarding World. Shintarou thought the book title sounded rather hilarious, but it was no joke book indeed. The book was intriguing to read, for it gives him a different perspective of how witches and wizards view muggles. Shintarou would often find himself smiling at the silliness of how the wizarding kind described the various mundane muggle topics with utmost interest that muggles themselves find boring, but only when nobody was around.

"You should smile more often, Shintarou. It suits you nicely." A sudden voice distracted him from his reading, greatly surprising him that he almost fell behind with the chair.

"I-It was only a figment of your imagination." denied Shintarou, adjusting his spectacles while his voice still wavered slightly from that initial shock. He eyed the smiling boy who gave him a quite a surprise with a look of disapproval as he had entered the common room again, despite being in a different house altogether. Shintarou was surprised that he was able to escape and avoid detection for more than three years since he first came into the common room on the grounds of _exploring_ the castle, a feat that only Seijuurou could probably achieve.

"I see that you're back again for the umpteenth time, Seijuurou." Not that he didn't enjoy his company. On the contrary, Shintarou anticipated his arrival, expecting to see him emerge from the common room entrance every night, but he needn't know that.

"Do you not enjoy my company, Shintarou?" asked Seijuurou, feigning a pout that Shintarou didn't even bother pointing it out, knowing that it was one of his devious teases that was specially prepared just for him. The redhead always seems to be able to see right through him. If Shintarou knew any better, he would've thought that Seijuurou was an active practitioner of Legilimency, not that it would surprise him any more if he really is.

"I didn't say that." Shintarou looked away, refusing to give the redhead gratification that he had, indeed, been seen through that easily by Seijuurou again. He tried to distract himself by reading one of the passages on his book. Alas, It lasted only for about a few seconds before Seijuurou stood behind him and leaned his head near his shoulder, his lips merely inches away from his ear as he could hear the faint breathing coming along from the other.

"What could possibly evoke a smile from you, Shintarou?" asked Seijuurou, his smooth voice was far too close to Shintarou's ear for his own good. His entire body jerked in response, his ears and face flared up considerably as he tried his best to keep his composure under control. The redhead seemed amused by his reactions and Shintarou mentally swore to himself that he would someday wipe off that grin of his, once he finds a way to best the Akashi heir of his grades and overall magical abilities.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Shintarou replied curtly, refusing to look at the redhead right in the eye, instead keeping his eye contact with one of the moving portraits on the wall.

"You're a bad liar." Seijuurou chuckled before he took a seat next to the taller greenhead, moving his chair right next to the Ravenclaw, leaning his head slightly on Shintarou's shoulders as he skimmed through his copy of _Home Life and Habits of British Muggles._

Thus, they spent yet another evening alone, sitting by the warm and toasty fireplace in the arms of each other with Shintarou answering each and every question that the redhead throws onto him whenever he was intrigued by the various muggle behaviour described in the books. He would never admit it, not out loud, but Shintarou deeply enjoyed these small, intimate moments that they share every night with a rare, genuine smile that only Seijuurou would ever have the chance of seeing it.


	2. Life & Ambitions

Seijuurou was a man of great ambitions, and Shintarou was very well aware of that. The Sorting Hat did place him in Slytherin for a reason.

Ambitious and resourceful, a noble heir of the Akashi family. An overachieving student that consistently gave near perfect performances in all his coursework and examinations. Shintarou could not imagine the immense heavy weight Seijuurou carried the day he was born. The high expectations coming from his peers and his family, plus the whole Wizarding community must've put a toll on him.

When news of the infamous Triwizard Tournament being revived spread across the entire Wizarding World, the spotlight shone on Seijuurou. Many have wondered if the brightest and cleverest wizard of the decade would be participating in the competition as a representative of the historic Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and by extension, his own family.

Shintarou thought Seijuurou was out of his mind when he confessed to him that he would be participating in the Triwizard Tournament later on. Being highly well-known for its high death toll and the extremities wizards and witches must face that accompanies each Task. It wasn't meant for those of the faint-hearted. Of course he never thought of Seijuurou as someone who would back down from the dangerous challenges when presented to him, but to sign himself up was basically asking to get himself killed.

 _Was it really worth his life in order to please those that surrounds him?_

"Remind me to deny you any possibilities of dropping your name onto the Goblet of Fire when we become of age, Seijuurou." said Shintarou, walking alongside Seijuurou in the Transfiguration courtyard with his textbooks sitting neatly inside of his cauldron while casting a glance at the shorter red-haired.

"Are you questioning my abilities, Shintarou?" asked Seijuurou, returning his glance with a glint of curiosity.

"Absolutely not." responded Shintarou. "Merely your early death wish."

Seijuurou simply chuckled at his response. Shintarou did not find any of his responses being remotely funny. It was no joking matter, and he didn't like how Seijuurou spoke so lightly of the competition. It was his life for heaven's sake.

"Are you, perhaps, worried about me then?" Seijuurou asked again, a faint smirk made its way onto his lips.

"The correct word would be ' _concerned'._ " Shintarou retorted harshly almost immediately while they both seated on one of the benches in the deserted courtyard, letting his eyes explore the surrounding greenery as he took a deep breath of the nicely scented, freshly mown grass. The lovely scent did not help him relax, unfortunately.

"However, worried is also appropriate in this case." The expression on Shintarou's face hardened, placing his bandaged hand on top of Seijuurou's own in an attempt to ease some of the tension.

Truth be told, Shintarou was both worried and fearful that should anything happen to Seijuurou, he would not be able to help him as champions are expected to deal with the task alone. For all he know, Seijuurou's life could end in an instant right in front of him and Shintarou wasn't sure if he was mentally and physically prepared to witness all of that. He shudders at the thought, hands tightened into fists for even thinking about the worse consequences.

As if Seijuurou had sensed the distress coming from him, he leaned and cupped his chin, surprising Shintarou greatly when his head was turned towards the redhead, glassy emerald hues meeting red ones.

The redhead opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but then he pursed his lips together before he moved closer and sealed the distance between their lips, kissing him with an astonishing amount of tenderness accompanying it at a gingerly pace. Shintarou returned the affectionate kiss, pulling the smaller male closer to him until their chests bumped against each other, embracing him tightly as if Seijuurou was the world to him.

For now, Shintarou wanted to stay in this very moment and forget about everything else.


	3. Life & Confectionery

"I see that you have joined me this year, Shintarou." Seijuurou looked pleased, taking his eyes off of the busy crowds roaming about on the platform outside the window.

"It's only because the other carriages were full." Shintarou replied curtly as he shuts the compartment door, seating himself comfortably at the opposite side of the redhead. It was their first time alone on the Hogwarts Express, with no one but themselves inside the compartment itself. Not that they haven't spent time alone with one another, but the train was a new experience indeed.

The Hogwarts Express began to move, slowly departing from the busy Platform Nine and Three Quarters as it leaves the mundane Muggle World that is London far behind, heading north towards the Scottish highlands in a steady pace.

The eerily quietness that dwelled in their compartment was making Shintarou rather uncomfortable. They would usually find a way to spend time with one another, whether it be a friendly game of Wizard's Chess (Which Shintarou never did manage to win.) or simply reading a book. Instead, they've spent almost a quarter of an hour not speaking to each other since the train departed.

Shintarou vaguely remembered that he had brought some of the muggle confectionaries with him when he had the opportunity to purchase a handful of them over the course of summer, knowing that Seijuurou is rather intrigued with everything that are muggle-related. Remembering that important fact, he searched his pockets and… there they are.

He grabbed a handful of sweets from his pocket and proceeded shove them onto the redhead's smaller hands. Seijuurou simply stared at the assortment of muggle sweets on his hands as if he needed to process the information before he spoke.

"What are these?" asked Seijuurou. Being a pure blood wizard from a noble family, he probably never graced his eyes upon muggle sweets before.

"Confectionery, from the muggle stores." said Shintarou, his facial complexion slowly began to redden considerably at what he was about to say. "I believe I have heard you mention about trying them before, but never really gotten the chance to do so."

The one distinctive trait that Shintarou had inherited from his zodiac sign was his sensitivity to the people around him. It was effortless for Shintarou to remember each and every little detail of those who he care about the most. Seijuurou was no exception to this. Shintarou would pay extra attention to him, but of course nobody needed to know that.

"Attentive, as always." Seijuurou chuckled, but gave him his thanks before he examined each and every sweet carefully, as if he was in a Potions examination where they must determine whether the potion was poisoned or not.

"They won't kill you if that's what you're wondering." said Shintarou.

"No. It's not that." said Seijuurou. Having said that, he never took his eyes off from the sweets. His eyes were filled with a great deal of curiosity in them. If Shintarou were to look closely, he would've seen a slight sparkle behind those red hues.

"These aren't real babies, are they?" Seijuurou asked, genuinely concerned as he picked up a packet of gummi sweets with the label "Jelly Babies" on it. Parts of the packaging was transparent, allowing one to see the contents inside, which contained gummi shaped like babies in a variety of different colours, each with its distinctive flavouring.

Shintarou, being a half blood with first hand knowledge of the Muggle World, were immensely surprised and amused by Seijuurou's reactions that he almost succumbed himself into smiling, but succeeded in keeping it at bay.

"Don't be ridiculous. They only named it that way because of the way they resembled babies. They're made from gelatin." Shintarou explained thoroughly. It was only then that the Slytherin finally opened the package, but still refused to put the gummi near his lips.

"You're impossible." Shintarou promptly took a red jelly baby out from the packet and put it into his mouth. He hadn't had jelly babies for quite a while and they haven't changed at all. Each and every one of them were coloured coded with designated flavours inside of them. The red one being strawberry flavoured as he chewed. His mind drifted away far enough that he didn't notice that Seijuurou was closing in on him. Only when their lips made contact with each other did he realise that he was being kissed. The redhead's tongue gently traced the outline of Shintarou's lips, licking some of the gelatin that remained on them before he pulled away finally. He looked smug and seemed to be proud with what he did while Shintarou blushed furiously before he growled in annoyance.

They subsequently spent the rest of their train journey, taste testing the rest of the muggle sweets in the same way they did with the jelly babies. Shintarou reckoned that Seijuurou had planned for all this to happen. Needless to say, they shared one too many kisses on that single journey to Hogsmeade.


	4. Life & Strawberries

Potions is perhaps one of Shintarou's favourite subjects in the range of classes that Hogwarts provided. Despite his lacklustre abilities in cooking, brewing potions proved to be an entirely different situation and had continued to be one of his strongest aspects in class. Second, only to Seijuurou of course. He never seemed able to surpass him in any subject at all, as the redhead remains to be the most gifted student of his year, much to Shintarou's chagrin.

Even if Shintarou were good at Potions, he thought that his N.E.W.T or Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test Level Potions classes were notoriously difficult to follow, more so than his O.W.L classes. Whoever named the tests were naming it deserves to be featured in a Chocolate Frog card. It was nastily exhausting indeed.

Their previous N.E.W.T Potions class required them to brew the infamously difficult Draught of Living Death, a potion capable of sending those who drink it into a deathlike slumber. Those last words in the description inscribed on his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ did nothing to relieve his situation:

 _The Draught of Living Death brings upon its drinker a powerful sleep that can last indefinitely. This draught is very dangerous if not used with caution … This is an extremely dangerous potion, as a single drop is enough to put one to sleep. Execute with maximum caution._

However, there was a cure for those who are unfortunate to have graced their lips upon this dreaded potion. Shintarou, having read all the Potions books that were on his mother's bookshelves back home, knew that there was a way to reverse the effects of this dangerous potion. His Potions Master was vastly impressed by his impressive knowledge in healing potions, as there didn't seem to be anybody who knew that the Wiggenweld Potion was capable of awakening those who had been in a magically-induced sleep. However that was only because Seijuurou was not sharing the same Potions class as him.

When Shintarou entered the Potions classroom morning after breakfast, something peculiar rushed into his lungs through his nostrils. Instead of the cold, chilling air that usually accompanies with every breath, an intoxicating aroma filled his lungs instead.

That strangely wondrous scent that he could not get his mind off of was later confirmed during class, when their Potions Master had introduced them to the world's most powerful love potion known to wizardkind. The Amortentia Potion.

"Ah, let's start with you, clever boy. Take a whiff and tell us if you can smell anything from it." His Potions Master asked, handing him a cauldron filled of the love potion.

Shintarou winced at the strange nickname he had been given since their last class but he dismissed it when he saw the mesmerising coloured potion on his table, it's steam rising in spirals in a very unusual way.

He placed his head near the potion before he took a slow, deep breath, letting the scent envelop his senses. The seductive scent made his head spin and it somehow evoked something deep inside his mind. It vaguely but surely reminded him of red bean soup, the smell of old books and…. the scent of strawberries?

Shintarou's face never reddened this much in his entire life when he caught himself taking in the potion's fumes very slowly and deeply. What an embarrassment, he thought. He launched his head away from the potion and immediately shuffled with his spectacles before describing what the scent had reminded him of to his professor, although the last one baffled him because he almost certainly was never fond of strawberries that much. At least he wasn't aware of it.

It turns out that everyone interprets the aroma differently. The things that the potion reminded you about when you take in its fumes were the things that you find most attractive. Shintarou definitely can understand the first two. Red bean soup having that distinct, sweet aroma while the smell of old books reminded him of his childhood when he would go through his mother's old books.

Shintarou, however, could not explain the scent of the strawberries at all. He never fancied them enough to find them attractive, as far as he knows.

He spent almost the entire evening in the common room reminiscenting the unforgettable aroma that the potion emitted, but also thought about the odd strawberry scent because it felt out of place. It was another exhausting day with his schedule fully packed with other N.E.W.T subjects such as Charms, Transfiguration and Divination. Shintarou slowly drifted off to sleep without even realising it, his head laying next to his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ where the details of the Amortentia Potion was described:

 _The most powerful love potion in existence. A highly dangerous and potent potion that requires extreme caution. When brewed by a skilful potioneer, it would induce a powerful infatuation on the person who drinks it. The drinker would then become obsessed with the object of their affections. This potion cannot create the unconditional, eternal and unbreakable attachment that is Love. The aroma emitting from the potion can be interpreted differently according to what the person who took in its fumes finds most attractive, whether it be an object or a person, even if the person does not acknowledge it._

Shintarou woke up about half an hour later, and the first thing his foggy, emerald orbs landed on was a familiar shade of red that he had so gotten used to seeing every day, standing tall over him, but that was only because Shintarou was sitting down, giving the other a height advantage.

"How was your nap, Shintarou?" asked Seijuurou, smiling softly upon noticing that he was awake.

"Decent, I suppose." Shintarou replied slowly, lifting his head back up and re-adjusting his misplaced spectacles back to its proper place on top of the bridge of his nose. Of course, Seijuurou sneaked into the Ravenclaw Common Room again.

"You're not thinking of spiking my food with Amortentia, are you?" Seijuurou asked with a tone of playfulness laced across his words, red hues glinting with a devious smile apparent on his handsome features. He must've seen the page he was reading on earlier and thought it would be fun to tease him all about it. Having been with Seijuurou for six years had definitely taught him better.

"Don't be ridiculous. Nothing of the sort ever crossed my mind, mind you." huffed Shintarou, crossing his arms while his eyes were closed, refusing to give any sort of gratification for his merciless teases. "Besides, I have no need for a silly little love potion when I have no need for it in the first place."

"That's reassuring." The redhead simply chuckled at his response, walking over and behind him before he felt his arms snaked around his neck. Seijuurou's head leaned down with their cheeks literally only inches away.

Shintarou inhaled sharply at the sudden, intimate touch and that's when the mystery of the strawberry scent was solved in a flash. It wasn't because Shintarou was fond of strawberries or anything.

 _It was because that was the scent of Seijuurou's hair._

Shintarou's cheeks flared up so much that moment that it could've matched the same degree of redness as his lover's vibrant red hair if his fair skin allowed him to.


	5. Life & Cooking

Surely Shintarou had expected the redhead to be examining all the muggle technology and artefacts that were scattered about when Seijuurou stayed at his house for Christmas, but to see the situation unraveling right before his eyes was a completely different experience altogether.

For the past few days since they've arrived, Seijuurou had been dedicating all of his attention at the flat screen television on the wall that his father had bought years ago again. It was fairly obvious that the pureblood wizard was profoundly curious about the muggle contraption. Shintarou wouldn't blame him, for there was no wizarding equivalent to the muggle television. Some wizards did attempt to create a wizarding television network known as the British Wizarding Broadcasting Corporation back in early 1980's, but due to the nature of it being a severe breach of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, the proposal was quickly shot down by the Ministry of Magic.

They cuddled together under the blankets on one of the armchairs as he watched Seijuurou, gleaming with curiosity, went on a television surfing spree, flicking through all the channels that were available at the moment. Right now, they seemed to be stuck watching advertisements about the latest gadgets and holiday gifts.

It was rather amusing if Shintarou had to be honest. Watching the brightest, cleverest wizard of the decade who excelled in all departments of magic known to wizardkind being bewildered by the unknown that was the norms for the muggle world was a sight to behold indeed. Many of the things shown on television seemed to have caught Seijuurou's interests as well, like the underground train system in London, to which he had expressed interest in riding one of the tube trains someday.

Cooking shows were also immensely popular in Britain so there were frequent broadcasts of them all the time on TV, especially in the late afternoons. They so happened to have landed themselves on such a show, where a chef could be seen mixing all the ingredients in a bowl at the moment, making the sauce for the cake they were attempting to make. Shintarou was hoping that Seijuurou would change the channel soon before he asked that dreaded ques-

"Can you cook, Shintarou?" The redhead asked, finally taking his red hues away from the television and onto him.

 _God damn it, he was too late._

"I-I suppose." bluffed Shintarou. It was already embarrassing enough that, despite his excellent potion brewing skills, he was terrible at cooking. His skills could be best described as atrocious, owing to the fact that he had almost set the stove on fire once, and he wasn't about to tell Seijuurou all about it of course.

Seijuurou simply hummed in response; however a smirk found its way onto his lips as those rubellite eyes glinted, as if he had caught onto something. Shintarou didn't like the feel of it.

"Then, can you make something for me?" He asked, eyes fixated at him. With that affirmative look, it felt more like an order than a request in Shintarou's opinion.

Shintarou cursed himself for even bluffing in the first place. He knew it was already far too late for him to back out from this already. He would have to bluff his way through, hoping that a miracle would happen this time if he followed the instructions from the cookbook very, _very_ carefully. Besides, he doesn't want to disappoint him either.

"… I don't see why not." Shintarou almost stuttered.

He quickly stood up and swiftly walked away from the living room and into the kitchen with absolutely no idea what to do. He rarely ever had to use the kitchen other than using the microwave or to get a glass of water. To actually utilise its facilities was what Shintarou find challenging.

Shintarou spent the next five minutes staring at the front cover of a copy of _Cooking Made Easy: What A Snap!_ that his mother had left in the cupboard with disbelief and confusion. As if a woman snapping her fingers on the front cover would convince him that cooking was as effortless as a snap of his fingers. As if that cheesy-sounding name and the ridiculous thickness of the book that could rival some of his Hogwarts textbooks wasn't already bad enough.

It would've been a snap if he could use magic to conjure up food, however, food was part of the Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, which meant that wouldn't have worked. Besides, they weren't allowed to use magic outside of school until they've reached the age of seventeen.

"Do you need any help, Shintarou?" Seijuurou poked his head into the kitchen through the doorframe, smiling in a somewhat devious manner.

"No thank you. I am perfectly capable of doing this myself." huffed Shintarou, shooing the other away.

Once he was sure that the redhead had left the kitchen and gone back to his TV-watching marathon, Shintarou pried open the cookbook, hoping to find anything that remotely sounded easy and simple to make without testing his very limited cooking skills to the extreme.

"Cacio E Pepe?" Shintarou squinted at the small imprint through his glasses. Surely he did not mix up his mother's cookbook for his own spellbook, right? It did certainly sound like an incantation for a spell or charm, however. The text read:

 _Cacio E Pepe (Cheese & Pepper)_

 _Among the most basic, simplest pasta there is. Easy to make and easy to prepare, but incredibly tasty when made right. You will need the prepare the following ingredients:_

 _1-2 teaspoons of Black Pepper, Cracked_

 _1 cup of grated Pecorino cheese_

 _1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese_

 _3 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature_

 _1 tablespoon of kosher salt_

 _1 pound of spaghetti_

He supposed this would do, as the other recipes sounded either too far-fetched to him, or just sounded absolutely ridiculous. (Seriously Basic Roast Chicken definitely does not sound appealing at all.)

Shintarou searched the kitchen, looking for anything that sounded similar to any of the ingredients on the recipe. Cooking does not need specific ingredients like potion brewing, right? It probably would only cause a fire at best, to which a simple water-making spell would fix everything, provided that it was life-threatening enough for them to use magic outside of school.

He found some cheese in the fridge, though not of the fancy Italian variant the cookbook mentioned. However, there weren't any black pepper nor that fancy sounding salt other than the classic salt & pepper in his kitchen, so he supposed that would have to suffice.

So far, it seemed to resemble a classic potion brewing process of gathering the ingredients, preparing them and dumping them all in one go into the pot. However, it wasn't as easy as he thought it was going to be, despite the book's blatant use of the word "easy" in almost all of the paragraphs.

Grating the cheese was perhaps one of the most troublesome things Shintarou had ever done. The picture on the book that depicted a young lady grating cheese as if she was having a wonderful time was a bloody lie. On the contrary, it was very tedious and he could feel his arm starting to hurt when he was grating his second block of cheese. It didn't help that the cheese itself was sticky to the touch. Some of those cheese even got stuck inside those tiny holes in the grater. He was frustrated.

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Seijuurou came back in again, eyeing him from the doorframe just like he did before. Did he really have to check up on him every quarter of an hour?

"I said no. Now leave me alone and let me finish grating this bloody cheese first." Shintarou snarled. Even if he knew having Seijuurou assisting him would be more than a tremendous help, his pride and willingness to follow his bluff refused to back down. Besides, he was annoyed.

"If you so wish." Finally, he left him in peace as Shintarou finished grating his cheese.

There were only three steps in this recipe, and the description for each of the steps were quite vague. A potion recipe would've carefully listed the exact amount of ingredients needed in excruciating detail. This cookbook, however, never listed exactly how much water he needed to fill the pot. Shintarou sighed in defeat. He was frustrated, oh so frustrated indeed.

As if Seijuurou was waiting for this moment to happen, he stepped into the kitchen with a smug expression on his face

"Having problems, Shintarou?" He hummed.

"N-Nothing of the sort." Shintarou stammered, refusing to acknowledge the fact that he was having problems.

"The state of the kitchen says otherwise." said Seijuurou, his eyes looking around the area as he walked towards the bespectacled male.

Shintarou proceeded to look around the kitchen and was shocked to find the premises in a complete mess as if a hurricane had struck and turned it upside down. All that cheese grating he did earlier had not only covered the tops of the kitchen counter with bits of cheese, but also on the sleeves of his jumper as well. At this point, it was pretty much impossible to hide the fact that he couldn't cook. Shintarou's face flared up. He was deeply embarrassed and silently wished he could just disapparate away right now, thus avoiding the whole thing altogether.

"F-Fine," Shintarou admitted, stuttering in the process. "I can't cook."

"I know. This is why I tried to offer you my assistance." Seijuurou explained. "From the dreadful look you showed me in the living room, it was fairly obvious."

Shintarou flinched at the response. He hated it when the other was able to read him like an open book. He averted his gaze in an attempt to avoid those all-knowing red hues.

The green-haired male had long felt inferior to the redhead when he had first met him on the Hogwarts Express. No matter how hard Shintarou tried to catch up to Seijuurou, he would always end up in a close second, even in Potions. There was simply nothing that the redhead could not do. He was perfect in every single way. But perhaps this was one of the reasons why he had fallen for him. Challenging each other was part of how their relationship worked.

He took another glance at the mess he had made. It does not seem possible for them to make anything edible out from this mess.

"Shintarou." He heard the other mutter his name, but he still refused to look at the redhead that stood in front of him until he felt arms wrapped around his waist, embracing him warmly before a soft kiss was planted at the corner of his lips. Those actions alone were enough to send Shintarou into a frenzy of emotions.

"I appreciate the effort that you've put into this." said Seijuurou, before he felt the redhead leaning his head against his chest, pulling him closer.

"D-Don't be ridiculous." stammered Shintarou, his composure briefly returning. "I've done nothing to deserve your gratitude."

"I dare say otherwise."

Shintarou did not say another word, but simply returned the embrace in the midst of the kitchen disaster they were in. He supposed they would have to order from a chippy tonight again.


End file.
